04 December 2021

Legendary British Punk Band THE VIBRATORS Clear Out Their Archives For A 3CD Box Set Of Vintage Demos!

Punk rock fans know that the best punk recordings are of the raw, rough, “quick! let’s get it on tape before we forget the chords” variety. Those are the recordings that come straight from the heart, capturing the fire of the song’s initial inspiration before it gets piled on and choked out with overdubs and studio gimmickry. Now, what happens when a band like British punk icons The Vibrators, whose fiery passion has kept them going for 6 decades, unearths a treasure trove of early demos from their first years as a band? Well, that’s a discovery that would make any self-respecting punk fan raise their leather-studded fist in the air and salute!

The Demos 1976-1978 is truly a piece of punk rock history. This vibrantly colored 3CD box set includes many of the songs that not only made The Vibrators a household name, but also influenced generations of punk rockers to come. Listen to these raucous versions of “We Vibrate,” and “Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)” that are arguably even better than the versions that ended up on their major label studio albums. Don’t believe us? Just check out the incredible 1977 demo version of “Automatic Lover,” a song they would re-record for their 1978 sophomore album, which is released today to all digital platforms.

Vocalist and primary songwriter Knox declares “I think demos are very important. You can look at the song and see how much more might need doing to it. The demo often becomes a kind of sign post to the band to show how the song should be developed and finished. It is sometimes almost like another member of the band. It is available for all sorts of changes, but in the end, even if it’s your song, you are in a band and not doing a solo project.”

In addition, The Demos 1976-1978 contains several more songs that never made it on to any Vibrators studio album! That is, not yet - rumor has it that for the group’s final album, set for release next year, Knox, Eddie and the boys took one of these gems and polished it up for a proper release. But until then, you can pre-order the box set, which comes in a clamshell box with a 12-page booklet of liner notes and rare photos plus a button and guitar pick! Available everywhere not-so-fine punk rock is sold December 10.

The Vibrators – The Demos 1976 – 1978 (3 CD) Pre-Order

10 August 2021

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Neon - Don't Eat Bricks - Radar 7" Vinyl 45 - UK - PS - 1978 - NM-

26 July 2021

Origin of JOY DIVISION’s “LOVE WILL TEAR US APART” Rarity from The Martin Hannett Tapes Revealed!

Producer Martin Hannett was one of the most groundbreaking and prolific producers of his era, responsible for revolutionary albums and singles from bands like Buzzcocks, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, A Certain Ratio, Happy Mondays, and one of the most important post-punk bands in history, Joy Division. Hannett became virtually synonymous with the latter, having spent countless hours recording the quartet - Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris - from their breakthrough debut 1979 album Unknown Pleasures right up through to the very last single they would release as a band, the iconic “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” 

But Hannett was also known for his unconventional production techniques and willingness to experiment, which might explain why he had the band record multiple versions of “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” The track’s earliest origins date from January 1980 at the Pennine Studio in Oldham, England but the band would later re-record it in March of 1980. While other versions of the track have appeared on Joy Division compilations such as 1988’s Substance or re-issues of the band’s studio albums, one of the rarer versions has only ever appeared as a standalone single, frequently backed with another rarity, “Leaders Of Men.” This version of “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” which has a distinctively janglier intro, has long been rumored to be a bootleg, but it was, in fact, part of a group of recordings which the band, represented by Curtis, Sumner and Hook, signed over to producer Hannett on March 30, 1980. After Hannett passed (in 1991) his wife sold the rights to Chris Hewitt of Ozit-Morpheus Records on January 31, 2008. Brian Perera, owner of the L.A.-based indie label Cleopatra Records, then bought the rights from Hewitt in March of 2009. Cleopatra has proliferated this version on several genre-based compilation albums as well as issuing the track on both 12” and 7” vinyl that have become exceedingly popular among Joy Division fans, most recently as a 7” single with silver colored vinyl. And unlike any bootleg recording, the band receives royalty payments based on the sales of the track through Fractured Music, the one-time publishing arm of Joy Division. But no matter which version you listen to, this beloved track continues to be a testament to both the collective talent of Joy Division as well as a living reminder of the man who helped bring the song into being, the man behind the board, producer Martin Hannett! 

Listen: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980 Martin Hannett Versions)

 Order the new 7” silver vinyl of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” from the 1980 Martin Hannett tapes on vinyl.  

 

 


 

11 June 2021

Punk Women: 40 Years of Musicians Who Built Punk Rock | David A. Ensminger - Editor and Katy Otto - Foreword

In this far-reaching anthology, David Ensminger delves underground to explore the oft overlooked community of badass women who shaped the punk scene. There is a common thread of women being excluded and gatekept from the hardcore music scene but this anthology challenges that notion and shows that women have still been able to overcome, kick ass, and shred alongside the best of them. Biographies, interviews, band anecdotes, and never-before-published photos showcase the talent and artistry of bands like Bikini Kill, The Guttersluts, Bratmobile, Spitboy, the Germs, The Slits, and dozens more. Through its intimate aesthetic analysis and raw zine-like presentation, this is an essential resource for anyone looking to discover, rediscover, and cherish punk history. Includes a foreword by Katy Otto of Trophy Wife.

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